Beijing Double Happiness Hotel — Hotel in Beijing

We selected this hotel for a birthday as we wanted a traditional, authentic Chinese experience. It was our first time in Beijing and we were not disappointed.||||The Double Happiness Hotel is situated in the midst of a quaint Hutong. The exterior was lit with red lanterns and the reception area was decorated with historical Chinese souvenirs.||||On arrival we were greeted by hospitable and friendly staff and were given a choice of room. We decided upon a first floor room with a private balcony. The room was undoubtedly Chinese, adorned with vibrant Chinese silk and mahogany furniture. We were impressed by the original nature of the hotel which maintained an ancient culture. Despite below freezing temperatures in January, the room was consistently well heated, even throughout the night. ||||Breakfast, although small, had a variety of traditional Chinese foods in addition to Continental favourites. When this was busy, we were always given the option of dining within the bar. We visited the bar several times during our stay as this was inviting and easily accessible. The atmosphere within the bar was relaxing and ambient, especially at the end of a long and exciting day of sightseeing. We were always pleased to see the singing birds. There was a selection of delicious Chinese dishes and beverages. The bartender was warm and accommodating, providing information on the local area and Beijing. We were also presented with an enormous bottle of complimentary champagne on a birthday.||||Our stay in the Double Happiness Hotel was immensely pleasurable and will remain in our memories of Beijing. With helpful staff and a great location, this hotel is highly...

They always had someone who spoke English at the front desk. Fantastic customer service. The shower had random temperature. We went in August, so we did not have any heating issue. The AC works great. I felt like I should’ve explored the hotel more. There were so many hidden surprises. They have turtle, fish and talking birds that imitates door sounds.

Breakfast has always been great - large selection and a combination of western and eastern diet. They were so kind that they packed our breakfast before we left, because we had to leave before the kitchen opens.

Cleanliness - reasonably clean, I would still not use any towels from Chinese restaurants; not sit on their toilets. This is pretty standard for any restaurant I visit in China. They provide the smallest toilet paper rolls. Each roll was about 0.5 inch in thickness. We had to ask for a few rolls a day. They did not have any bugs or misquotes.

It is located in the middle of a very narrow alley, but most of our drivers were willing to bring us in. Most of our drivers were contracted through a school in Beijing, they had better customer service than most. The alley we walk pass everyday had a few public toilets along the way, and they always stunk pretty bad.

We had Baidu map, and I am fluent in Chinese and English. So we got around the place easily. My husband did not speak English, he enjoyed the stay at this hotel.

Do I recommend them? Yes if you want to experience traditional Chinese lifestyle. Of course, they don’t live this way anymore. Would I go back again?...

It was a staycation for us and we loved the quaint hotel in a quiet old neighbourhood. This place has a lot of character and despite it being 200+ years old compound, we found the room very comfortable. It was -7C outside and our room was warm and cosy! The best part was that you could open the windows if you were warm, something not possible in many modern hotels these days. Enjoyed hanging out in the quiet bar with the lilting music playing in the background. A quick walk to Crescent Moon (great Uighur food) in Alley 6 was very convenient. Breakfast was decent too. All in all, a good hotel. I love taking photos - and this was a perfect hotel for my hobby! In the dead of winter, while everything outside was grey, the enclosed corridors of the hotel were vibrant with greenery. Very pretty.||However, that's not why I am writing the review. We were throughly impressed by the staff. 5 star/foreign brand hotel staff in China don't speak English half as well as they did at this hotel reception- it was such a refreshing change! They were professional and efficient and tried to help us with anything we needed. ||Even the housekeeping staff, busy trying to prepare rooms for new guests, stopped and patiently took photos for us when we asked, with a smiling attitude.||It was obvious that a very small staff is running this hotel really well.....they obviously work long hours but don't show it in their faces.||If you're in Beijing and want to have a taste of an authentic ancient residential alley living for a night, this is a...